NEW YORK, June 6 (GenomeWeb News) - Fitch Ratings revised Beckman Coulter's rating outlook to "negative" from "stable" today, citing concerns about the company's cash-flow generation and credit profile.
The company's change in leasing policy, with customer contractual terms shifting to operating-type leases, will require a significant cash outlay for capitalizing customer equipment, the agency said. Stress on the company's credit profile would be "exacerbated" if the company continues its "shareholder-friendly" actions, Fitch said.